About

ABOUT

The premise of the HIMAs / Maggies is to recognize and honour independent journalists and independent media within Hamilton. Despite the incredibly important work she did, Maggie, like many independent journalists, laboured in relative obscurity. It is our belief that independent media provide an essential service both locally, and world-wide. Independents regularly cover the stories that major outlets won’t touch, and provide a much-needed diversity of perspectives and voices in an increasingly concentrated corporate media landscape. For these reasons, the HIMAs seeks to promote local independent journalism, to support the community of journalists, and to expand its capacity and public reach.

In addition to raising the profile of Hamilton’s independent media community, the HIMAs also seeks to provide aid to journalists in the form of equipment, or monetary awards, that will help sustain their work. This aspect of the awards is particularly important to the organizers, as Maggie often struggled to keep her work going, often lacking the means to obtain equipment, such as audio recorders, cameras, and microphones. Most independent journalists and media outlets do their work without any type of financial support. As such, awards are great, but tangible support for the necessary work of independent media is crucial.

Questions

Who selects the winners?

The nominees for each awards category will be selected by the public, with the board giving final approval of nominee eligibility. The winners will be decided on by a combination of public and board votes, and voting will take place through the HIMA web site.

What are the categories?

Each year there will be a number of categories that individual journalists and media outlets can be nominated in.

What constitutes ‘media’?

To be eligible for a Maggie, individuals must be journalists working in any medium (print, broadcast, internet, radio), who are not funded, contracted or employed by a for-profit or state-owned media corporation.

In order for media outlets to be eligible, they must be based and owned locally, and must be dedicated primarily to news reporting, commentary, or analysis.

Where do I have to live/work?

Individuals must also live within the greater Hamilton area, encompasing Dundas, Ancaster, Flamborough, and Stoney Creek. In order for media outlets to be eligible, they must be based and owned locally, and must be dedicated primarily to news reporting, commentary, or analysis.